SPACE January 2024 (No. 674)
History of Ublo prototypes ©Park Jiyoun
‘Perspectives of Architects’ curated by Shin Changhoon (co-principal, Unsangdong Architects) and Jae K. Kim (professor, Hanyang University), is a series of exhibitions exploring art, furniture, and the environment. ‘Architecture and Environmental Concerns’ is the final exhibition in this series, featuring interview & work videos, models, and books that introduce the architectural perspectives of Kim Naree (co-principal, Ublo), Han Eunju (principal, softarchitecturelab), and Nam Jungmin (professor, Korea University), each contributing their unique insights related to the environment. Kim Naree, with a background in façade consultation, establishes a connection between façades and the environment. For example, the Ublo ventilation window introduced by Kim, with a diameter of 18cm, eliminates the need for metal and plastic frames for opening and closing functions, reducing the carbon footprint. In the exhibited book, Kim emphasises the importance of reducing one’s carbon footprint not only at the use phase but also in the production phase, stating that ‘the energy saving design standards for Korean buildings or zero-energy building certifications only consider the reduction of operational carbon emissions during the building’s life cycle.’ Following this, Han Eunju introduced Ambience Wall (covered in SPACE No. 645), which reacts in real-time to its environment by reflecting subtle weather changes and human activities. It focuses on the potential expansion of spatial experiences through the interaction between the environment, architecture, and users. Nam Jungmin explores architectural solutions that bring nature into unassuming spaces such as small gaps or cracks in façades in which plants can be planted, the ground floors of urban spaces where people encounter one another, and staircases that can function as public-facing features even in private buildings. This exhibition, highlighting works that unpick the relationship between architecture and the environment from a range of perspectives such as production, interaction, and coexistence, will be open at the Seoul Hall of Urbanism & Architecture until Feb. 25, 2024.
